Wagon-tongue support.



R. G. LUCAS. WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLIOATION FILED APB-.14, 1909.

Patented 0013.25, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY G. LUCAS, 0F PLOVER, IOWA.

WAGON-TONGUE SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY G. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plover, in the county of Pocahontas and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Vagon-Tongue Support, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved tongue support for wagons that will retain the tongue at a proper elevation relative to horses heads and also allow the tongue to be lowered as required in elevating the front of a wagon on a platform.

A further object is to connect all the parts with a wagon as required for practical use without weakening the wagon axle and the tongue by making holes therethrough.

A further object is to allow the tongue to rest on the ground when" the horses are unhitched.

A further object is to construct and arrange and detachably combine parts economically, efficiently and durably as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view and Fig. 2 an inverted view of my invention that show the forms and combinations of all the different parts. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the front axle of the wagon is designated by the letter A. To this axle the mating hounds B are aflixed in the ordinary manner and are constructed to pivotally support the tongue C to permit vertical movement. Connected to the under side of the tongue at its rear end is a bearer. cl, which may be held in place by a U-shaped bolt surrounding said tongue or in any other suitable manner. Pivotally carried by said bearer (Z is rod f, threaded at its pivoted end for the reception of lock-nuts n which serve as an abutment for a spring h, coiled Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1909.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Serial No. 490,387.

upon the rod f. Embracing the axle A is a -U-shaped sheet metal member g, having its forward leg extended and curved slightly upward. This curved leg is apertured for the reception of the free end of the rod f and for coacting with the locked-nuts to tension the spring 71. It will be readily understood that the tongue is normally supported in horizontal position by the spring it between said lock-nuts and the member 9. When it is desired to lower the tongue, it must be depressed against the tension of said spring until the bearer cl and the rod f pass a position of alinement when the rod f is drawn in an opposite direction and the tension of the spring exerted to force the tongue downwardly. The lock-nuts form means for varying the tension of the spring it.

Having thus set forth the purpose of my invention and the manner of its application and use, the practical operation and utility thereof will be obvious.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

A tongue support for wagons, comprising, in combination with the axle and a. pivoted tongue, an apertured bearing plate carried by said axle, a depending bearer extending below said tongue, a rod pivoted to said depending bearer and sliding in said bearing plate, and forming a substantial toggle-lever connection between said plate and said tongue, and a spring bearing between said plate and apoint on said rod, said rod having a variable upward inclination toward said bearer, whereby a continuous upward pressure is exerted, and thereby said tongue is depressed or elevated as the pivot joint between said bearer and said rod is above or below the line denoting the parallelism of the bearer and the rod.

' ROY G. LUCAS.

Witnesses:

F. A. SERNETT, H. FITZGERALD. 

